Driven: 2025 Mitsubishi Outlander Is Plusher Than You'd Expect

Yahoo

24-02-2025

The term "flagship" usually conjures images of an elegant sedan or a flashy full-size SUV. But things are a bit different over at Mitsubishi. The Japanese automaker considers the Outlander—a compact SUV that competes in one of the most mainstream segments there is—to be its flagship. We can see why Mitsu might say this when you compare the Outlander to the other vehicles the Japanese automaker sells in our market.
Last redesigned for 2022, the Outlander is the only car in Mitsubishi's current stable that can be considered remotely competitive within its segment. It's a decent-looking crossover inside and out, and it also offers a relatively advanced plug-in-hybrid powertrain with more electric range than many of its rivals. The Outlander is also Mitsubishi's bestseller, which explains why the company is boasting about all the small changes it made for 2025's mid-cycle refresh.
Little has changed underneath. The Outlander remains on the same platform as the Nissan Rogue and, in base form, still uses a dated Nissan four-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission. But the update does include freshened front- and rear-end styling, additional standard features, suspension tweaks, more sound-deadening material, and two new audio systems from Yamaha with up to 12 speakers and 1650 watts of power. It's worth noting that these changes will only appear on gas-fed 2025 Outlanders; the PHEV will get the same updates for the 2026 model year.
Say what you will about the Outlander's polarizing face, but the look is distinctive. The extra chrome trim and nice 20-inch wheels found on most trims (ES models get 18s) make the Mitsu look more upscale than a Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V. We drove one of the upper-trim models, an SEL, with the Premium package and thought the cabin's plushness was a good match for its aspirational sheetmetal. Soft-touch dashboard materials, quilted leather upholstery, and knurled switchgear make this interior a pleasant place to spend time. The Yamaha stereo's new speakers add an extra dash of visual interest. Even with our limited seat time, we'd rate the Outlander's accommodations near the top of the compact-SUV class.
The Outlander has one other cabin trick up its sleeve: a standard third row. Since the Volkswagen Tiguan is dropping its third-row option for 2025, the Outlander will become the only compact SUV that can seat seven. But even Mitsubishi admits that the wayback is meant for "occasional use" (translation: It's only for kids, and even then, only in a pinch). Thankfully, the second-row seat is plenty comfortable for adults, and it slides fore and aft to offer various cargo configurations.
The Outlander's middle-of-the-road driving demeanor continues to jibe well with its comfy interior. Driven at a reasonable pace, we found it quiet and refined by this segment's standards. We couldn't really notice the various changes to the dampers, spring rates, and bushings, but the additional sound-deadening appeared to be doing its job. As before, the Mitsu is no handling maestro; its mushy brake pedal and vague steering don't engender confidence when pushed to more aggressive speeds on twisty roads.... Not that you'll be gathering much speed to begin with.
While the Outlander's Nissan Rogue sibling has adopted a turbocharged three-cylinder with variable-compression-ratio tech, the Mitsubishi chugs along with a carryover naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four making 181 horsepower. That isn't much in an SUV of this size, and the engine has to work hard to get the Outlander moving.
The 2025 Outlander's pricing is reasonable on the lower end, starting at just over $31,000, but it's tough to justify the higher-end models that stretch well into the $40,000 range. Sure, the Mitsu does give you a solid amount of equipment for the money, but at that price point we'd spring for competitors that offer far more powerful engine options, like the Mazda CX-50. The changes made to the 2025 Outlander don't thrust it to the top of its class, but at the same time, it's far from our least favorite compact SUV. It's more refined and pleasant than you might expect a Mitsubishi to be, and its solid midpack performance is made more appealing if you need a third row of seats but don't want to step up to a mid-size SUV.
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